Roasted Tomato Enchiladas (Entomatadas)

I often encounter enchilada fans who think tomatoes when they imagine that red sauce that is the lifeblood of everyone’s favorite rolled tortilla casserole.

Whether you’re talking Mexican enchiladas, Tex/Mex enchiladas, or southwestern-style enchis, traditional enchilada sauce is actually made from a base of reconstituted, puréed dried chiles. You can use California pods, New Mexican reds, or even a combination of chiles, but the chiles are requisite for that smoky, inimitable flavor.

We’re working with tomatoes today, though, M.! So what gives? Entomatadas, that’s what!

Entomatadas are really just what they sounds like: fried tortillas smothered in a rich tomato-based sauce, stacked together as enchiladas are, and then filled with and/or finished by a generous, generous helping of melting cheese.

On the intersection that is the rare occasion of me find myself without red chile sauce and the common occurrence of me dying for a pan of enchiladas (Venn diagram that!), I reach for this entomatada recipe.

Why? Because even when it isn’t tomato season, as in today, roasting off the fresh fruit brings out that juicy sweetness that I love.

Entomatadas are also super easy to customize: I went with a meatless combination of lovingly sautéed mushrooms, green chiles and rice for this batch, but you could easily swap in ground meat of just about any variety, beans, quinoa… Tony Danza and Judith Light best watch theyselves because you is the boss of these enchis!

The reality is that these entomatadas are the perfect solution for Use It Up Challenge nights in the Bakes household, and now also in yours; you can really stuff whatever fillings you have on hand inside, roll into whatever type of tortillas you’ve got in your pantry, top with any style of melting cheese you have hanging around, and consistently end up with a pan of deliciousness.

2 Anaheim chiles, stemmed, diced (I opted to retain the seeds and membranes here; you can remove them in order to reduce the heat.)

8 oz. brown baby bella crimini mushrooms, sliced

2 c. cooked long grain rice

5- 8″ flour tortillas

2 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (Note that I always recommend taking the time to shred your cheese by hand straight off the block in order to achieve the most even melting, but that is especially true will a dish like these entomatadas.)

Instructions

Preheat the broiler to high heat.

Slice the tomatoes vertically and place, cut side-down, onto a well-oiled rimmed baking sheet. Broil until the skins of the tomato are blackened, blistered and just starting to peel away, carefully rotating your pan as necessary during broiling in order to achieve even blackening. Remove charred tomatoes and set aside to cool slightly.

Place the parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse-process to chop. Add cooled tomato pieces and process to a thick sauce. Season with cumin, garlic, white pepper, oregano and salt to taste. Pour into a large bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over a medium flame. Add the onion and sauté until softened, approximately 5 minutes. Add chile pieces and sauté 5 minutes more. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the mushroom slices, and then stir in the rice. Continue to cook until the mixture is softened and fragrant, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.

To assemble your entomatadas, take a tortilla and carefully coat both sides with the tomato sauce. Place a generous amount of the filling in the center of the tortilla, roll, and set into a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling mixture, and top with any remaining tomato sauce. Finish with an even layer of cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is bubbling. Note that you may opt to broil your entomatadas for an additional 1-2 minutes just to crisp the edges of the cheese.

Comments

Hello
I just happened upon you lovely website a few hours ago, and I’m hooked! The tasteful and helpful array of recipes that you present so beautifully are quite inspiring. I really like the way you include good technique and tips in the instructions. Your sense of humor is great too!
I can’t wait to start trying some of them.

Thank you so much for your lovely review of The New Southwest, Susan! I am just so pleased to read that you enjoyed the Arroz Verde and Citrus & Herb Red Snapper recipes – they are two of my favorites from the book. And do let me know if you give these entomatadas a try: they’re another amazingly delicious way to dive headfirst into southwestern fare. Thanks again, Susan!

Yes! I think that the charred skins add depth of flavor to the finished sauce so I include them, but you could easily remove them prior to processing if you prefer. If so, I would recommend removing the blackened tomatoes from the oven and immediately covering tightly with tin foil; this step will allow the skins to steam and loosen, thus making it super easy to peel them right off. After about 10 minutes or once the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, simply rub or peel the skins away and discard, and then proceed with the remaining tomato flesh. I hope this helps, Jennie!

Gah!! This looks great, but I have to tell you I am in love with your writing! I keep reading and reading and reading haha. You definitely have a new follower in me. I’m just getting started in the blog world (this week marks 6 months), so cheers, from one AZ blogger to another!

My husband is half Cuban and half Mexican and entomatadas are his mom’s specialty! You can guarantee that at any special event they will be on the menu. She makes hers differently, but these sound delish! Unfortunately, I think I’d be kicked out of the family if I served yours so perhaps I will make them and disguise them with a different name. You and I will know the truth!

Oh-man! Are you wicked or what?! I must stop reading your post at night…..you are making me so hungry!!! LOL!! Your pictures are totally “WOW”…….blaming you for my weight gain….JK! I really enjoy eating these with homemade flour tortillas, they are so tasty! When my friends all gather we usually end up in my kitchen, that’s our hot spot for fun times. Best thing is all the laughing that goes on and I always have loads of help when clean-up duty arrives. I highly recommend this recipe to everyone.

Yum! Enchiladas are one of my favorite foods, but I have tried making the chile-based, tomato-less sauce before and it never tastes quite right. Maybe I’m using the wrong kind of chiles? In any case, these look and sound delicious, and I think this sauce is exactly what I have been looking for! Thank you!!

You know, this is actually something that I hear quite often, Jen. A few suggestions: first, you are absolutely right that the type of chile you select matters; I suggest sticking to either California red or New Mexican red. Second, I really recommend taking a moment to toast the pods before soaking. It doesn’t have to involve a lot of drama, you can simply throw the stemmed chiles into a large Dutch oven and toast the whole batch, stirring every few minutes, over a medium flame – makes a huge difference. Finally, add lots of garlic to the finished product. Garlic has such a lovely sweet/savory flavor that sort of rounds out the earthiness of the chiles. Ultimately, however, if the chile-based sauce just isn’t your jam, you can go with a tomato-based sauce like the one used in these entomatadas. Enjoy and thanks for commenting, Jen!

Yes! This would be the perfect dish for breaking in your new press, Andrew! Homemade tortillas are a game changer – you’ll never go back to store bought. If I may, be sure to line your press: I learned the hard way that this is absolutely a requisite step, especially when preparing flour tortillas. Enjoy and thanks for commenting!